Pilgrims Seek a Vision of the Virgin Mary in Engaging Doc ‘Apparition Hill’

November 23, 2016

Apparition Hill is more than a documentary — it’s practically an infomercial. It’s all about showing us how amazing and awe-inspiring is its titular hill, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina town Medjugorje, as seven strangers make a pilgrimage in hopes of seeing the Virgin Mary, who is said to appear every month. These strangers were brought together by filmmaker Sean Broomfield, who organized a video contest whose reward was an all-expenses-paid trip to this land of wonder.

As much as Broomfield reminds us, either through voice-over or just capturing the visual beauteousness of the area, that Medjugorje is a place where people can have their lives changed, he also thankfully focuses a lot of time on his fellow travelers. There are, of course, a couple of atheists who are open-minded enough to make the journey. There’s a drug addict trying to get his life together. And, most heartbreakingly, there’s a woman suffering from cancer, looking for one last miracle.

By following these people and their different, personal journeys, Apparition Hill becomes less about seeing a heavenly vision and more about folks finding peace in their lives before they shuffle off this mortal coil. It is fascinating seeing people come to a holy place — a place that’s more about love and spirituality than religion — with their hearts and minds open, just looking for guidance. And whether you believe in God or not, isn’t that what we all want?

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